As I went across the bridge, I met a man with a load of wood which was neither straight nor crooked. How is this possible?

Why this works

This riddle plays with the meanings of "straight" and "crooked." When the man is carrying wood that is described as neither, it suggests that the wood itself is not in its whole form—hence, it can refer to sawdust, which is the byproduct of cutting wood rather than the wood itself. So, the clever twist is that while we might expect solid pieces of wood, the answer reveals it's actually a fine powder, which fits the description perfectly!